Introduction to Stoke-on-Trent City Council from Chief Executive, Jon Rouse
We are committed to making Stoke-on-Trent a place where every resident feels safe, supported and proud.
We know families within the city are under growing social and economic pressures, and we know that the city has one of the highest proportions of children in care in England, but we are determined to change this, because at the heart of everything we do is a commitment to ensuring children feel valued, nurtured and cared for.
We are building capacity within our children and family services team, taking a new direction in how we deliver services. We are focusing on prevention, reducing the number of families that come into contact with statutory services, and achieving permanency and stability for those that need our support, ensuring they have access to the right help at the right time.
We have made a start through our strong partner relationships with organisations and community groups, providing more co-produced services. A recent report also highlighted the success of our pioneering programme, Family Matters. But we recognise that there is still much more to do. That is where you can be part of our journey. We need a different culture, not only for ourselves but also for the partnerships our families depend on.
Reporting directly to the Corporate Director of Children and Families, this critical role will focus on improving the quality of practice, safeguarding and performance across all directorates, partner organisations and communities.
We want every child and young person in Stoke-on-Trent to have the best possible start in life - staying safe, achieving their potential and building a brighter future. When children and families thrive, our city thrives too.
This is an exciting time for Stoke-on-Trent and a great time to join the city council.
-Jon Rouse, Chief Executive
Introduction to the role from Corporate Director, Neil Macdonald
In Stoke-on-Trent we are reshaping Children and Family Services around a bold new delivery model to achieve our ambition of creating an integrated, restorative and family-centred system that intervenes earlier, strengthens families and enables children and young people to thrive.
In achieving our ambition we have created this new role, a key leadership position at the heart of leading change, working across services to influence delivery of practice and shape the best outcomes in Stoke-on-Trent. Reporting to me as the Corporate Director of Children and Family Services, you will provide strategic leadership and assurance for quality of practice, safeguarding and improvement. You will help turn our Families First Partnership ambitions into excellent frontline practice, ensuring that change is not simply implemented, but experienced by those who need our support.
This is an exceptional opportunity to take on a pivotal role within a newly formed team of experienced leaders, driving major cultural change and putting children and families at the heart of everything we do.
Who are we looking for?
We seek a strong leader with drive, creativity and the ability to face challenges head-on. You will support transformational improvements in our city, motivate teams with clear direction and equip them to excel.
You will shape our quality assurance framework, improvement planning and inspection readiness, bringing together quantitative performance insight with a deep understanding of practice and impact. You will oversee professional learning and workforce development through our Learning Academy and strengthen independent challenge. You will also help align practice across the new operating structure, sustaining momentum as our local government landscape evolves.
As a qualified social worker, you will bring a strong grasp of children’s social care practice, quality assurance, performance and service improvement. You may bring experience as a Principal Social Worker, practice leader, improvement lead or senior operational leader. Whatever your route, you will combine authority, curiosity and the ability to influence across organisational boundaries. Visible, values-led and collaborative, you will create the conditions in which practitioners can excel, partners can contribute and learning leads to improved delivery.
Our values
Our values and behaviours define us. Our values represent what the city council stands for, and our behaviours translate that into day-to-day actions. They aren't just a set of words which are kept in the top drawer; our values are important to everyone working here at the city council. They are something that we should all try to live by.
Our values shape how we interact with our colleagues, our local communities, and our partners. They represent what we believe in and who we aspire to be. They provide a powerful articulation of our core beliefs, and through the application of these beliefs we can build a better future. Our values are at the heart of our vision - and our success in delivering this will be dependent upon everyone playing their part. Our values are:
- We will use our powers and resources, combined with the expertise of our dedicated workforce, to benefit the communities which we serve, enabling residents to shape more decisions about their lives and local environments.
- We will be clear about the challenges that the council is facing, how we are going to address them and whether we are making progress. We will always be open to new and better ideas.
- We care about the lives of our residents. We will provide help and support without judgement and will actively seek the views of our citizens to improve the services we deliver.
- We will be dedicated and supportive partners to all those who want to make our city a better place, forging strong relationships which span sectors and geographies.
- We will take ownership of our commitments and responsibilities, be honest about where we can do better and demonstrate the utmost responsibility for the efficient use of public resources and assets.
- We will champion our city and our citizens at every opportunity, talking up its many strengths and nurturing civic pride. We will promote our city’s culture, heritage and future potential to wider audiences without downplaying the significance of local challenges.
Our strategy
In our strategic plan - Our City, Our Wellbeing - we set out our strategic vision and priorities for Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the wider city. It is as much a corporate plan for the council’s directorates and teams as it is a strategic blueprint for improving Stoke-on-Trent by creating shared wealth and reducing inequality.
To achieve our vision, the strategy proposes to organise our plans against seven themes, each of which will contribute to improved community wellbeing:
- Healthier - Creating a healthier standard of living for all our citizens
- Wealthier - Reducing hardship and enabling greater shared prosperity
- Safer - Building empowered communities, safe from the threat of harm
- Greener- Conserving our environment and living more sustainably
- Cleaner - Working together to clean up our city and our communities
- Fairer- Tackling inequality and improving life chances for everyone
- Skilled – Providing opportunities for people to improve their skills and education
You can find a full copy of the strategy here
Our leadership
